After the copter lands on the battle infantry headquarters, The copter doors slid open with a hiss, and cold night air rushed into the hangar. The moment the landing struts touched the ground, medical teams surged forward with stretchers and equipment.

  Squad Striker, weak, pale, barely conscious, were lifted out one by one.

  Their bodies were wrapped in bio-bandages, vitals monitored, oxygen masks fixed on their faces.

  Dr. Rose followed alongside the medics, barking quick instructions.

  “Stabilize them, get them on the nutrient drips, three are in spirit shock, prep the trauma ward!”

  Squad Regal and Squad Alpha assisted her while carefully unloading the mysterious device, sealing it in a containment capsule.

  Cain stepped into view, coat swaying, expression carved in stone.

  He pointed toward the medics.

  “Medical unit. Take Squad Striker to the infirmary.”

  Then he turned sharply toward Isha—

  their leader, shoulders slumped, bio-bandages all around her body. face drained of color.

  Cain’s eyes narrowed.

  “Isha.”

  She straightened instinctively.

  “We will talk later about you and your squad’s actions during this mission.”

  The disappointment in his voice was heavier than anger.

  Isha bowed her head so low her bangs hid her eyes.

  “…Yes, Captain.”

  Shame clung to her like shadow.

  Kael was still sitting on the copter floor, chest heaving, sweat dripping as the last remnants of Spirit Overdrive flickered off his skin.

  Cain stepped closer and extended a hand.

  “Need a hand?”

  Kael looked up, exhausted but still managing a small grin.

  He took Cain’s hand and pulled himself up.

  “Don’t worry about me, Captain. It’s just a bit of spirit energy loss… not fully drained.”

  Cain raised a brow, part doubt, part impressed.

  “Good. Then take time to rest, Cadet Kael.”

  Kael nodded.

  Cain turned to Takeshi and Barnabas.

  “Takeshi, handle the report for Squad Prime.”

  “Barnabas, same for Squad Action.”

  Both straightened immediately.

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Understood.”

  With that, their squads filed out, leaving the quiet hum of machinery behind.

  Everyone left—

  except Anya, who slipped Kael’s arm around her shoulder to help him walk.

  Cain looked back one last time.

  “Oh—and Kael.”

  Kael paused, blinking.

  Cain’s expression softened slightly.

  “Congratulations on your first successful mission.”

  “And for taking down a Nester-Type Abberant, alongside Squad Action, no less.”

  Anya’s eyes lit up, her smile bright and proud.

  Cain continued:

  “General Ryker has prepared a reward for you, your whole squad, Squad Action, Squad Regal, and Squad Alpha, make sure to go to him as soon as you can, take the other squads with you.”

  Kael let out a breath, half relief, half disbelief.

  “…A reward?”

  “You earned it.”

  As Cain turned to leave, Kael spoke again:

  “Captain, what about Squad Striker?”

  Cain froze for a moment—

  then answered with a tone that was firm, unyielding.

  “Because of their actions… they will undergo full retraining.”

  Kael frowned slightly.

  Cain finished:

  “They will not be cleared for missions until further notice.”

  And then he walked away, boots echoing across the hangar as med teams rushed past him.

  Kael leaned back against the treatment pads, letting the gentle hum of the medical machinery soothe his body. The burn of spirit energy loss had dulled, replaced by a calm warmth flowing from deep within him. He smiled faintly, knowing the real reason for this relief—Kylon’s passive skill, quietly healing and restoring him whenever he was out of battle.

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  “Thanks, Kylon,” he murmured, his voice tired but sincere.

  With a soft fwip, Kylon’s spirit card burst open, spilling a swirl of blue light as the dragon spirit emerged, sitting beside Kael’s face with wings fluttering gracefully.

  “You’re welcome, dear holder!” Kylon chirped, pride in his tone.

  Almost simultaneously, CRACKLE!

  Zatz shot out in a spark of golden electricity, buzzing nervously in the air.

  FOOM!

  Kawa erupted in a jet of crimson fire, feathers glinting with molten heat, eyes blazing with worry.

  Kawa sat beside Kael, Zatz hovered in front of him, radiating concern so intense it could almost scorch the room.

  Kawa: “HOLDER—WHAT WERE YOU THINKING USING OVERDRIVE THAT LONG?!”

  Zatz: “Holder, you almost fried your spirit energy, I was scared.”

  Anya, supporting Kael as he rested, hid a smile behind her hand, amused by how fiercely his spirits cared for him.

  Kael raised his hands defensively. “Okay—okay! I’m alive, right? Kylon’s regen is already fixing everything!”

  Kawa puffed his chest, Zatz folded his tiny arms, and Kylon shook his head. They cornered him in a tight triangle, each radiating both protection and worried energy, making Kael feel simultaneously safe and ridiculously guilty.

  Anya shook her head, laughing softly. “Your spirit creatures are very worried about you.”

  Kael gave a weak shrug, letting a tired grin slip through. “Yeah… they’re family.”

  A digital chime suddenly echoed in his mind, crisp and commanding. A massive SYSTEM SCREEN materialized in front of him, hovering in midair with pristine clarity.

  [SYSTEM MISSION REPORT — OPERATION COMPLETE]

  ?? MISSION: EXTRACTION — SUCCESS ??

  OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED:

  ? Doctor Rose Campo successfully extracted

  ? Prototype Spirit-Resonance Device secured

  ? Squads Prime, Regal, Alpha, Striker, and Action evacuated safely

  Spirit signatures confirm total operational victory. Abberant presence in the region reduced significantly.

  REWARD ISSUED TO: KAEL SANTOS

  NEW TECHNIQUE UNLOCKED: ELEMENTAL SPLIT

  Kael blinked at the glowing text, still half-leaning on Anya. His brows furrowed, curiosity piqued.

  “Elemental Split…?” he whispered, his voice low, unsure.

  Anya noticed the shift in Kael’s expression—the distant look in his eyes, the subtle tightening of his jaw. She leaned in slightly.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Kael blinked, the glowing system notification fading from his view. He shook his head casually, pushing the weight of Elemental Split to the back of his mind.

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” he said with a small shrug.

  “I just… remembered something.”

  He straightened, then called out to the trio of spirits still bickering noisily beside him.

  “Kylon, Kawa, Zatz. Come on. I think the mess hall might get you three into the right behavior.”

  Kylon’s ears perked instantly.

  “Mess hall?” His eyes sparkled with childlike delight. “Does that mean I can get more bread again?”

  Kawa recoiled in pure disgust.

  “Seriously? A Prime spirit drooling over bread?”

  THWACK!

  Kylon snapped his tail across the back of Kawa’s head in a swift, offended whip.

  “You’re one to talk—as if you won’t inhale a whole platter of steak the moment we get there.”

  The flame spirit bristled, feathers puffing aggressively. “At least steak has dignity!”

  Before the tension could flare into a full-on elemental scuffle, Zatz shot between them in a blur of buzzing lightning, circling the air like an excited lightning bug on overcharge.

  “FOOOOOD! FOOD! FOOD! YESSSSS! Zatz needs food! Zatz deserves food!”

  The two arguing spirits stared at him.

  Kawa sighed. “He’s impossible.”

  Kylon nodded. “At least he’s happy.”

  Kael couldn’t help but laugh softly, the sight of his vibrant, chaotic companions lifting the heaviness off his shoulders.

  He turned to Anya.

  “Wanna join us? The others might be there now.”

  Anya smiled—soft, warm, relieved that the mission’s stress was finally giving way to something normal.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’d like that.”

  Kael nodded, gathering his spirits as they hovered around him like a noisy, colorful constellation. For the first time since the extraction began, the air felt lighter—almost peaceful.

  The mess hall was lively—voices, clattering trays, and the warm scent of fresh meals filling the air. As Kael and Anya stepped inside, they immediately spotted familiar faces.

  Natalia waved from across the room.

  “Kael! Anya! Over here!”

  At the table sat Natalia, Serafina, Kyle, and Takeshi—Takeshi already scribbling nonstop on a clipboard even while chewing mechanically.

  Serafina smiled as they approached.

  “We already got food for both of you—and your spirit creatures,” she said as she slid two trays forward: a full English breakfast for Kael and Anya.

  Kyle and Natalia handled the spirit creatures’ meals like seasoned handlers.

  “Salmon for Mischka,” Natalia announced, placing the plate in front of Anya’s sky hawk, who chirped proudly and began eating with elegance.

  “And for the gremlins,” Kyle smirked as he distributed the rest.

  “Bread with cream filling for Kylon… steak for Kawa… and cookies for Zatz.”

  Zatz squealed with joy, nearly vibrating off the table.

  Kylon bowed gracefully before digging into his bread with divine reverence, while Kawa ripped into the steak like he hadn’t eaten in a week.

  They ate beside the spirit creatures belonging to Natalia, Serafina, Kyle, and Takeshi—an entire little ecosystem of elemental personalities sharing the table.

  Kyle turned to Kael, eyebrow raised.

  “Still suffering from spirit energy loss?”

  Kael shrugged. “A bit. But Kylon’s passive ability is kicking in. I’m recovering pretty fast.”

  “That’s good,” Anya said—but her eyes drifted past Kael, spotting Takeshi.

  He was hunched over his tray, writing furiously, barely touching his food.

  “Kesh,” Anya said gently. “Take it easy. Eat first.”

  Natalia snorted.

  “Tell him. He doesn’t listen to me. Says he needs the report done early so he has more time to train.”

  Kyle groaned. “Dude, seriously? You’ve been training nonstop.”

  Finally, Takeshi lowered the clipboard, exhaling sharply.

  “Look, we need to train. I overheard one of the officers earlier—the inter-military competition between the three Battle Infantry bases is happening soon. And the Five Families will be watching.”

  He paused.

  “And they’re making August Sato compete.”

  Serafina’s eyes widened.

  “August Sato? The August Sato? Heir of the Sato family?”

  “Yeah,” Takeshi confirmed. “Him.”

  Kael blinked, unimpressed.

  “Why are you worried so much?”

  Kyle leaned back, folding his arms.

  “Kael… it’s the Five Families.”

  Natalia nodded.

  “I mean, come on—Cain and General Ryker are from the Smith family. They’re part of the Five. Along with the Rui family, the Sato family, the Tremblay family, and the Goetia family.”

  Kael raised a brow. “Yeah, I know the history. I’ve read the reports and the books.”

  He gestured at Takeshi with his fork.

  “What I meant was—why is Takeshi stressing over August entering the competition?”

  The table grew quiet.

  Takeshi’s grip on the clipboard tightened ever so slightly.

  And the others exchanged glances—like there was something Kael didn’t know yet.

  Takeshi exhaled slowly, his voice quieter than usual as he spoke.

  “In the Sato family… there’s a tradition,” he began, eyes fixed on the table.

  “Whoever defeats the heir becomes the next heir. And my branch… we’re at the very bottom. Lowest of the low.”

  Everyone went silent.

  Takeshi tightened his jaw.

  “That’s why I have to train. If I can win—even once—I can give my parents and my siblings a good life.”

  Natalia’s expression softened before she reached out and gently took his hand.

  Her touch was grounding, warm. She gave him a firm nod, silently telling him: You don’t have to carry this alone anymore.

  For a moment, Takeshi’s breath hitched—not from sadness, but from the heavy relief of finally saying aloud the thing that had weighed on him for years.

  Kyle leaned forward, slamming his fist lightly into his palm.

  “Well, that settles it,” he said with a determined grin. “I’m joining. I’ll help you train.”

  Takeshi’s eyes widened, stunned.

  He looked around the table—truly looked—for the first time.

  After everything he’d carried, the idea that his friends were choosing to stand with him… it shook him more than any battlefield ever had.

  Kael crossed his arms and smirked.

  “Well, I was planning to train anyway after our squad goes to see General Ryker for the reward Cain mentioned.”

  He pointed his thumb at Takeshi.

  “So yeah—I’m in too.”

  After finishing their meals, the spirit creatures shimmered into light and flowed back into their cards, settling into Kael’s and the others’ belt pockets. The group left the mess hall together, the atmosphere lighter now—but a quiet sense of anticipation lingered beneath their steps.

  When they arrived at General Ryker’s office, the doors slid open with a hydraulic hiss.

  Inside, Squads Regal, Alpha, and Action were already standing in formation.

  Ryker stood at the center—towering, disciplined, his presence alone enough to silence even the most unruly cadet.

  His gaze lifted as Squad Prime entered.

  “Good. Squad Prime is here,” Ryker said, voice deep and commanding. “Let’s proceed.”

  The room straightened instinctively.

  Ryker clasped his hands behind his back.

  “Due to the successful extraction of the device and Doctor Rose Campo,” he began, “each squad will receive 5,000 credits and five semi-human type cores as reward.”

  A soft chime rippled through everyone’s wristband synchros—confirming the transfer.

  A quiet wave of relief and gratitude washed over the cadets.

  “Thank you, General!” the squads echoed, bowing in unison.

  Ryker raised one hand, signaling he wasn’t finished.

  “In addition,” he continued, “I know it may seem early—and you all just returned from the extraction mission—but you must be informed about the upcoming Inter-Infantry Competition.”

  Murmurs spread instantly through the room.

  Ryker’s next words silenced them.

  “The five families will attend,” he said, tone weighted. “Including their leaders… and myself.”

  Even the bravest cadets felt the pressure tighten in their chests.

  Ryker began pacing slowly.

  “There will be two categories:

  ? One-on-one combat

  ? Three-member group battles”

  He then stopped, turning toward the cadets.

  “For the first three-member group… I appoint:

  Kael Santos — Squad Prime

  Barnabas Danichew — Squad Action

  Joseph Colins — Squad Regal”

  The three stepped forward simultaneously.

  Kael stood straight, Barnabas rolled his shoulders with confidence, and Joseph adjusted his glasses, expression sharp.

  Ryker nodded once.

  “You three are the leaders of each of your squads, you will form the first team in the three-on-three division.”

  He continued:

  “For the second group, I appoint:

  Anya Coupri — Squad Prime

  Myles Dillard — Squad Action

  Sulfia Ramirez — Squad Alpha”

  The trio exchanged glances—Anya offering a small encouraging smile, Myles cracking his knuckles, and Sulfia giving a determined nod.

  Ryker’s gaze shifted to the remaining cadets.

  “For the one-on-one matches, the infantry will be represented by:

  Takeshi Sato — Squad Prime

  Nino Sacre — Squad Alpha

  Ema Novakova — Squad Regal

  Kyle delos Reyes — Squad Prime”

  Takeshi’s heart pounded hard enough that Kyle nudged him with an elbow, smirking.

  Natalia whispered a cheer under her breath.

  Serafina’s eyes sparkled with excitement for her teammates.

  Ryker let the weight of the announcement settle.

  “This competition,” he said, “will be more than a test of strength. It will decide the standing of our base… and your future positions within the Battle Infantry.”

  His gaze sharpened.

  “Train well. Fight harder. And represent us with honor.”

  The squads bowed again—this time deeper, and with more resolve than ever before.